The types of makeup looks that permeated my youth have, thankfully, evolved.
I vividly remember sneaking turquoise eyeshadow to school in Gr. 7 to unabashedly and generously apply it across both eyelids when I was finally beyond my mother’s reach. She’d never know. It was 1987 and I wanted — nay, needed — that glorious pop of ’80s colour to go with my curled, teased bangs. Full of AquaNet and 12-year-old confidence, I was anything but understated.
My makeup looks would be an exercise in experimentation throughout my teens and 20s when “less is more” makeup was absolutely not in my vocabulary. Even in the 1990s, when spice-lined lips were filled in with nude-coloured lipstick, the severity of it all — often paired with grunge-black eyeliner — was designed to make us look older. Sixteen year olds turning 26.
So, isn’t it ironic (thank you, Alanis) that as I close in on 50, my makeup practise now is all about turning back the hands of time. All of the types of makeup looks to which I subscribe these days are firmly about highlighting, lifting and brightening. Gone are the heavy-handed efforts. It’s all about UNmakeup. Makeup that’s barely there, requiring little effort and even fewer tools.
I have a brush bag filled with dozens of makeup brushes collecting dust; in 2023, my fingers are usually my tool of choice. All of the opaque liquids and powders that concealed imperfections are gone and, in their place, are those that protect, nourish and show off my aging skin in its best light.
This is not, of course, to say that I won’t still rock a bold, red lip or apply a striking smokey eye, flanked with liquid liner and falsies. I definitely will when the occasion strikes. But I won’t do it all at the same time, and they’re reserved for very special occasions.
Everyday types of makeup looks
When it comes to everyday types of makeup looks for women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, I believe the less-is-more approach elicits a more youthful appearance every time. Simplifying my routine has also been a time-saver, and we all need more of that in our lives!
As I play around with different brands that have beautifully UNmakeup-like characteristics, I’ll review them here (updating the date at the top of the post every time I do) and show you the types of makeup looks I’ve achieved with them.
But before I do, it’s also super important to point out that the best makeup look for me may not be what’s right for you. You should go out into the world feeling your best, and if that means you’re wearing a full face of makeup to grocery shop, then by golly, do it. If you still love a good ’80s bang and turquoise eyeshadow, go for it. The older we get, the more confident we should become in who we are and the choices we make for ourselves. No one — not your partner, magazines and certainly not me — should be telling you what to wear on YOUR face or body.
And, remember: great makeup starts with great skin care. My review of a series of professional skin care lines is a nice place to start if you’re looking to amp up your skin-care regimen.
Types of makeup looks with… JONES ROAD BEAUTY
Billed as “clean, no-makeup makeup,”you’ve probably seen JONES ROAD BEAUTY in your Facebook or Instagram feeds. Founded by Bobbi Brown (yes, that Bobbi Brown) — who is no longer connected to her OG, eponymous cosmetics line — the brand is going hard on social advertising. A friend of mine reached out and asked if I’d tried it because you can only purchase it online. And that can be a pretty expensive risk.
So, I hope this helps take out some of the risk and provide you with the info you need to see if JONES ROAD BEAUTY is right for your lifestyle and skin type.
Overall thoughts: I love it for aging skin that’s getting dry and possibly even crêpe-y. The products are rich and hydrating and you’ll leave the house feeling like you just applied a nourishing night cream. The downside to that is that if you don’t like the feeling of an occlusive over your nighttime skin-care routine, you’re probably not going to like the way JONES ROAD BEAUTY sits on your skin. Rather than sinking into the dermis, it’s more like a protective layer. This line requires a lighter touch; too much will feel heavy and for those of you with long hair who wear it down, you might even find stray hairs sticking to your face. That’s a clear sign that you’ve got too much on, so go with that less-is-more makeup philosophy next time.
Tools required: One of the things I love most about JONES ROAD BEAUTY is that it’s very finger-friendly. In fact, I find many of the products go on better with fingers because body heat seems to activate them and make them even more blendable. However, if you’re getting The Face Pencil and/or The Best Pencil, you’d be wise to add The Sharpener to your cart as well since it’s designed specifically for these products. If you really can’t fathom applying foundation or the Miracle Balms with your fingertips, then the Everything Brush with be your BFF, but it’s far from essential.
Quickie JONES ROAD BEAUTY product reviews:
- Miracle Balm — widely considered the “hero product” of the line, Miracle Balm is best suited to drier skin types and is a brilliant option for those who don’t like wearing foundation but want that youthful, dewy effect. This is thick enough to replace moisturizer in warmer weather, but it doesn’t clog pores so even my somewhat sensitive combination skin didn’t break out. Best applied by pressing into your skin after a bit of product has been rubbed between two fingers, a little goes a LONG way here. I’ve experimented with Miracle Balm as an all-over glow, as a highlighter layered on top of foundation and as a lip balm and — once I figured out how little I really needed to use — have fallen in love with it. Especially the Dusty Rose colour! I just wish the brand would come out with Minis that you could purchase as a single, anytime, instead of limited runs in which you need to buy a complete collection because these tubs are far too big with which to travel
- What The Foundation — like Miracle Balm, use too much of this foundation and you’re going to find it “tacky” on your skin. Also like the Miracle Balm, the tub is absolutely huge and will probably last years — but that also means it’s not travel-friendly. This foundation looks more opaque than it is; once it’s applied, it’s very light coverage. It’s definitely more like a tinted moisturizer than a foundation. I used the online shade-picker and the colour it spat out works perfectly for me, so I’m inclined to say you can trust what it chooses for you, too
- The Face Pencil — gold stars all around for these! I have one meant for undereyes and one that’s a colour corrector for red spots like blemishes and those annoying little veins around your nostrils. This blends in best with the heat from your fingers, and has pretty good staying power, though it won’t last as long as a liquid concealer
- The Mascara — this is Holy Grail mascara, y’all. I’m obsessed. I like it just as much as MAC Stack (though it’s less “wet,” which means you have to move faster on your coats) and more than Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara. Don’t flick your lashes too ferociously while applying, though, or you’ll get some face splatter. The downside? There’s currently only one colour (black), so those who find black mascara too harsh probably won’t love it. Works great on its own and with falsies as a base coat
- Lip and Cheek Stick — again, I love multipurpose products and this one also happens to be travel-friendly…once you get the lid off. It’s really stuck on there! The colour deposit on lips and cheeks is really pretty and it’s nicely buildable, too
- The Best Eyeshadow — OK, I think it really is the best eyeshadow. The pigment is super rich, the buildability is insane and there’s zero fallout. I only have one colour (dark brown) and it’s a matte finish, so I can’t speak for any of the non-matte shadows, but I think this is the best matte eyeshadow I’ve ever owned
- The Best Pencil — this doesn’t do it for me. At all. I don’t find it goes on smoothly enough to get a perfect line, nor does it have great staying power
- Just A Sec — I reeeeally like this eye shimmer. The consistency is somewhere between powder and cream and it goes on as well with fingers as it does a brush. If you have oilier eyelids, however, you MUST use a primer on your eyelids first or this won’t stay put for long
Types of makeup looks with JONES ROAD BEAUTY:
Buy JONES ROAD BEAUTY here.
Natural makeup looks with… TRINNY LONDON
Founded by UK personality Trinny Woodall, Trinny London is one of Europe’s fastest-growing beauty brands. With unique packaging and many products that try to be more than one thing at a time, the price you see online is the price you pay — a welcome change for Canadians who usually have to factor in taxes and/or duty charges.
Overall thoughts: The online Match2Me colour quiz worked for me, so if you don’t live near a brick-and-mortar store (in NYC, the UK and Australia), you can trust the suggestions its spits out. Where Trinny London really shines is in its smart, efficient packaging — a series of little tubs that all snap together into a roll. Trinny London’s stackable tubs are great for throwing in even the smallest purse or in your travel toiletry bag. The convenience factor here is massive. Some colours and products have more staying power than others, and overall this line is really about ultra-natural, no-fuss makeup. It’s the ultimate in the UNmakeup category and is for those who truly want to simplify everything and make a real go of a less-is-more makeup approach; you won’t find much that will help conceal and cover. But enhance and highlight? Absolutely.
Tools required: Zip. Zilch. Zero. Got fingers? You’re good to go.
Quickie Trinny London product reviews:
- BFF De-Stress — the only thing that could make this product better is if it had SPF built in. That’s the only reason it isn’t my day-to-day base, because it’s otherwise everything I love for my aging skin: it’s a multipurpose tint with natural coverage, but it’s also buildable, leaves me fresh-faced with a hint of dewiness, and has built-in hyularonic acid plus the addition of a proprietary ingredient complex that Trinny London calls NP-TriOX™, which helps your skin manage the effects of stress. It goes on beautifully, settles in well and is hydrating enough that I can forego moisturizer (unless it’s the dead of winter and I’m skiing a lot, during which my skin devours even the most intense moisturizers)
- Miracle Blur — this is the product that first led to my Trinny London curiosity, and even after months of using it, I feel like I’m still working with it to get it to wow me, because (so far) I just don’t get the hype. Perhaps it’s because I love a glowy finish in my less-is-more makeup look and this product has a mattifying effect, so it continues to be at odds with what I’m ultimately trying to achieve. But for the types of makeup looks that demand a matte finish, this is probably a great tool in the makeup toolbox
- Golden Glow — I use this as a hybrid contouring/bronzing solution and like it for every part of my face except my nose. For nose contouring, I either need a different colour or a different product because it just doesn’t work there
- Lip2Cheek — a two-in-one product here, which you know I love, this really does work as well on lips as it does on cheeks, and there are various end results (some are glossier while others are more matte)
- Sheer Shimmer — not my favourite product, perhaps because the colour I have is just much too light or sheer for my skin; it doesn’t have any buildability or staying power and I would pass on this category altogether based on the one colour I’ve tried from it
- Eye2Eye — another two-in-one product, they’re creamy and sheer eyeshadows that have a translucent effect and offer just a touch of colour. Staying power is better with the colours that don’t have glitter/shimmer
- Lash2Brow — yet another two-in-one product! And I’m kinda obsessed with this one. The brow gel has a tiny bit of colour and a LOT of hold. I can shape my brows at 8 a.m. and by 8 p.m. they still look perfect. The mascara isn’t about big, bold lashes but it’s quite lengthening and adds enough oomph that I’ve gone out at night using it, though it’s definitely more of a daytime mascara
Types of makeup looks with Trinny London:
Buy Trinny London here.
Types of makeup looks with… SEINT
Yeah, yeah…it’s an MLM. I don’t sell it. But I do recommend SEINT — formerly called Maskcara — if cream-based makeup is your thing and you enjoy a compact footprint either because you travel a lot or you have limited storage in your bathroom. Keep in mind that most of those who sell SEINT are not trained makeup artists, so I’ll refer to them below as artists/sellers, despite the company calling them “artists.”
Overall thoughts: SEINT artists/sellers are excellent at colour-matching, but in the event you don’t like the colours in real life, the brand has a pretty good return policy; you’ve got 30 days for refunds or exchanges but you’re on the hook for return shipping costs. The palettes are hard to beat for travel, unless your makeup will be in direct sunlight or an unbearably hot environment (in which case, it will melt). I do find that my face needs to be scrupulously exfoliated before using SEINT, or I end up with dry-skin patches that stand out. Product lasts a long time, and it’s hard to mess up application because it blends so well. Don’t be intimidated by all of the dots and dashes you see SEINT artists/sellers painting on their faces in your social feeds; I swear it’s not intimidating in practise.
Tools required: None, unless you prefer blending with a brush and/or you’re using any powder-based colours in your palette. I like the SEINT IIID brush best, and then I use a fan brush from MAC for the powder highlighter (which, by the way, SEINT calls “illuminator”).
Quickie SEINT product reviews:
- Highlight — in most makeup circles, this is what we call concealer. I still don’t know why SEINT needed to change it up, but here we are. My colour-match was perfect and it does a good job brightening areas like the undereye. It also works as a decent backup if you don’t have eyeshadow primer and your donning shadow on a given day
- Contour — the real star of the SEINT show, in my opinion, its contour sharply defines cheekbones but blends gorgeously for a very natural look. I’ve tried a number of other contour products on my nose to help slim down a larger-than-I’d-like bridge and it does the best job, by far
- Illuminator — again, this is what most of us call highlighter and SEINT’s comes in two options: powder or cream. I prefer the powder here because it has better staying power over the cream base you’ve created, though the cream illuminators are really lovely for your cupid’s bow and collarbones, if you’re so inclined
- Bronzer — a different consistency than the contour, the bronzer isn’t a must but it’s a nice add-on if you prefer a sun-kissed cheek to a blushed one
- Eyeshadow — I don’t love SEINT’s eyeshadows. I didn’t find they had strong enough pigment for my liking and the fallout (those little specks of makeup dust that fall on your cheekbones and/or under-eyes when you apply eyeshadow) was really noticeable. Not a great combo with a cream base
- Lip+Cheek — a huge win for SEINT! I love a product that pulls double-duty. And these colours truly do look great on both lips and cheeks. Some have ridiculously strong pigment while others leave more of a hint. Your SEINT artist/seller will be helpful if you have a preference
Types of makeup looks with SEINT:
Buy SEINT here.
Less-is-more makeup coming soon…
I’ve had a two-year-long affair with the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 and will try to get my hands on more of this line to do a deeper dive into it as a makeup brand, rather than just a singular sun-and-skin-care-focused product. If you have other lines you’ve been curious about, please pop them into the comments and I’ll see what I can do!
DISCLAIMER: Some — but not all — products have been gifted to me. Brands have not paid to appear here. Opinions are my own.
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